trinity

What is the Trinity?

• The Trinity is the belief that God is Three-in-One:

  • God the Creator and Father,- John 10:30 - "I and the Father are one.“

  • Jesus as the Son of God

  • Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God at work in the world

• All are worshipped and acknowledged as separate persons of the one God

• The Trinity is not clearly stated in the New Testament but it has become something that marks Christianity apart from other monotheistic religions such as Islam and Judaism, which reject the idea that God can be three parts

What is the Nicene Creed?

• The Nicene Creed is a key source of authority for believing in the Trinity

• The statement  is recited by Christians of many denominations in their regular acts of worship

‘We believe in one God, the Father the Almighty … We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God … We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life’ (The Nicene Creed)

• This statement of belief in the Trinity explains each role of the Trinity and the characteristics of those roles

  • The Father is the powerful creator of everything

‘The maker of Heaven and Earth, of all that is seen and unseen’ (Nicene Creed)

• The Son is Jesus Christ, who came to earth as God incarnate and was crucified to redeem humanity’s sins

‘For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven’ (Nicene Creed)

• The Holy Spirit, which is the invisible power of God, works within the world today to inspire and guide us

‘The giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son’ (Nicene Creed)

• This Creed was drawn up in 325 CE by the Council of Nicaea (a gathering of all bishops from across the world)

• The Creed states the unity of the Church, baptism and repentance for the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgement, and everlasting life

The Oneness of God

• Although Christianity is a monotheistic religion, many Christians believe that there are three equal and yet distinct persons in one God

• Christians do not believe that there are three Gods. The oneness of God is central to Christian belief

• The oneness of God is referred to in the Old Testament, and Jesus also reminds his followers of the importance of believing in only one God

‘For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’ (1 Timothy 2:5)

‘Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble’ (James 2:19)

• The oneness of God is a central Christian belief, as it reflects the oneness of the universe God created

The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost

• The Trinity helps Christians understand the three ways that God can be understood as Father, Son and Holy Ghost / Spirit

The Trinity

• Christians believe that it is easier to understand God by relating to these three aspects

  • As the Father, God is loving 

    • Christians may feel loved and demonstrate love for others for example, by giving to charity

  • As the Son, God was incarnate

    • Jesus lived and died among humans so Christians know that God can understand them

    • Jesus felt pain like people do so Christians can pray to God for help

  • As the Spirit, God is a source of spiritual strength

    • Christians can feel the Spirit at work in their lives and this strengthens and supports them

• The Trinity is a mystery

  • Christians can accept that there are things that they cannot know about God

Holy Trinity and Worship

• The Trinity explains many things in the Bible so Christians canunderstand events like the voice from heaven at Jesus’ baptism

‘Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John…… As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3: 13)

• The Trinity is also important in many aspects of belief and worship

  • Christians bless themselves by making the sign of the cross and offering prayers ‘in the name of the Father, the Sin and the Holy Spirit’

  • Prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer, Nicene Creed and Apostles Creed all refer to the Trinity

  • Some hymns in church refer to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

  • Christians also understand the significance of the Trinity for baptism and it forms part of the ritual during the service

  • The belief in the Trinity is intended to be at the centre of each Christian’s individual daily relationship with God

Where do we find the three persons in the Bible?

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove

trinitarian Churches

‘The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life’​

(Catechism 262)​

‘And in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power and eternity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost’​

Church of England’s articles of Religion

Non Trinitarian Churches​

There are communities that believe that Jesus was an important and Holy person but do not believe in the Trinity​

Mormons: ​

These are also known as the Church of the Latter Day Saints. They believe that the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are not the same, but that they are 3 separate entities that share the same Will and purpose.

Jehovah’s Witnesses: ​

They believe that there is only one True God that is Jehovah. Jesus was created by God and so therefore, he is a creation of God but not God, but is His son (so he is less than the Father). They also see the Holy Spirit as being when God is active in the world, but this isn’t something separate to God but rather a force or power of God

Unitarians: ​

Unitarians are part of a particular part of the Church, but are generally seen to be part of the Eastern (Arab) Church, rather than Western Churches. They believe that Jesus was a man whose teachings and life gave him authority, but he wasn’t divine. However, they believe that God and the Holy Spirit are one and the same. ​